Coming up: Huairou Commission at the 13th International AWID Forum

New Study Launch: “Designing and evaluating the land regularization process from gender perspective: The case of Ponte do Maduro, Recife”Salvador, Brazil. At the 13th International AWID Forum (September 8-11, 2016) and alongside local partner Espaço Feminista, Huairou Commission will be launching a publication on women and land entitled, “Designing and Evaluating the land regularization process from gender perspective: The case of Ponte do Maduro, Recife.” Our launch will take place at our session on Women’s Land Rights on September 9th from 1:00pm to 2:30pm in Room Capitania Porto Seguro.

Women in Ponto do Maduro, Brazil

This publication narrates a long-term land process that took place in Recife, Brazil over four years (2010-2014). A multi-stakeholder partnership supported by the Global Land Tool Network / GLTN – UN HABITAT, focused on how the regularization process in Ponte do Maduro, Recife, translated the National Land Regularization Policy into practice, in a way that was for the benefit of the community where it was implemented. This was accomplished through an effective use of a gender responsive land tool, the Gender Evaluation Criteria (GEC) in combination with several other locally led strategies. The GEC is a flexible and adaptable framework that checks the gender compliance of land tools at grassroots, local and national level. This successful partnership operated under the overarching objective to empower women and men in utilizing the tool to promote gender-responsive and equitable land policies and implementation.

Land is a key driver of urban and rural development. If access to and use of land is well managed in a city and its settlements, a key condition for sustainable development has been established. If, however, access to and use of land are left to the market and only those with power and money, urban growth will be socially and environmentally unsustainable. Furthermore, securing land tenure rights for all is a key element to enhance resilience to the impacts of climate change, and effective land use planning and control can minimize the spread of hazard-prone land, which is essential to ensure sustainable and safe cities for men and women of diverse economic, social and cultural backgrounds. For women, especially women living in poverty, access, ownership and control over land has transformational effects on their wellbeing, economic and social status, resilience to disaster and climate threats, and for the development of the community and society at large.

In addition to the launch of this publication, Huairou Commission and Espaço Feminista will work together to facilitate a Caucus on Women and Land where we will discuss key priorities, including how to advocate for frameworks based on our innovations and existing successful cases that capture both rural and urban realities for women’s land rights, take into account the gender disparities in legal frameworks, and frame struggles for land tenure within a more holistic development process.

Land Rights Now Campaign: A Global Call to Action on Indigenous and Community Land Rights

Join the Huairou Commission and its affiliates at the Call for Action on September 10th, from 1:00pm to 2:30pm in Room Capitania Porto Seguro. At this event we aim to raise awareness and inform the wider participation of AWID Forum about Land Rights Now, its policy asks, and the ways women’s organizations can engage, in the context of implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

What is the Global Call to Action?

The Global Call to Action (GCA) is a worldwide alliance campaign with the goal to ‘double the area of land recognized as owned or controlled by indigenous peoples and local communities by 2020’. It is conceived as a response to the vast amount of communities and indigenous peoples – 1.5 billion globally – whose lands are being contested. This has significant social and economic repercussions, poses additional challenges to climate change, and threatens the livelihoods and basic human dignity of some of the poorest men and women in the world. As part of a global alliance uniting behind this goal, we can add value to efforts of existing organization that are fighting for community land rights, amplifying their voice internationally, providing a platform for dialogue and collaboration, technical tools, and enabling mobilization and coordination of activities. The GCA is guided by a set of clearly defined policy asks directed at a variety of audiences, as well as a Steering Group comprised of leaders, organizations, and world experts on land rights. More information on all aspects of the GCA can be found on GCA website at landrightsnow.org.

We are looking for your active support to the GCA by helping us broaden its base in our global push to achieve an ambitious goal!By 2016: At least 6 governments take a concrete action to secure indigenous and community land rights.By 2020: Doubling the area of land formally recognized as owned or controlled by Indigenous Peoples and local communities.